Wind deflector and brake



Patented Feb. 7, `19739 'o i "LWINDfDnFLEoToR'ANn BRAKE lt.,ndx'offlnet, ParisiFi-ance 1 i i *npplianoir Angustias, 1937.serialize.l 161,o1z; i n i "The presentinvntion `relates enerallyf`#ldapparatus forfredueing` the resistanoe opposedbl wind currents-tothemovement of ar body such as an automobile," :a locomotive,` trainer-"thelike. "The apparatus oi?` thepresent `invention oom- 1 prises deeotingplates arranged' tojdi've'rt `the wind fcurentsf so `as to reducetheresistance ops v posedthereby to the movement of the body but `whiclti`are movablymountedfso that they may 10 al'so beadjustd' with respecttojleach other," or

" the surfacesof fthe body, so "as` tov provide* a brakingfeiectonthemovementof the body." The i braking "efreet'jisobtainedvbyadjustingfthe de;`

o `ilectingplates either (to increasethe"orossfsec#` `fils non f thebody presented tothe wmacurrents orto position the plates so that thewind currents `react upon" theniarid/or on theY surfaces of the bodysoas `toincrease` thewindresistance to movement that isoccasioned by thewind."

` l 80 """In asimplejform the apparatus comprises a pair of platesmounted in laterally,spaced'relation` at the front of the bodyland"iificlinedvvith respectwtjo` its longitudinal axis so as todeflect' the wind currents outwardly `away from thefront end 1` of the1b'oclfyfto: prevent it striking the latter.

i 'I'iiesefff plates j are movably'mounted so thatby changing nieirinclination `with*restrict" to the' windcurrentsfthey"maymodify itseffect Oli the `body"eventofthe` extent of increasing "thewind .30;resistance nto its' "forward movement. i The V"deectors which*function`as described;

above, maybeof thev ,fornisdescribedjin my cof ment alsioutsuitableajresofrotation. t

i The invention may bealso `embodied in vehicles .i which-arestreamlined in the sense that their "eX- y tenorcontours areiairedso asto decrease wind i 45,:resistjance. To provide` for increasing wind re-j`sistancetoproduoe `a braking effect in accordance with thednvention,"the streamlined sur- `faces of the 'bodymay include plates which aremovablyrmounted so that they may be adjusted "50 to present surfacesthereof to the wind currents in such` manneras to increase theresistance to the movement of the body.

The adjustment of the deflecting devices to braking positions may becarried out in conjunc"V l `|55 tion with the operation of the usualbrak 9B b pending applicationspSerial No: 757,026, filed 1353-"` icember 11519434, now Patent 2,122,422`issu'ed July 35H5,'1938,"or8`6`f714', led June 23, 1936.f These :de-,p i ectorsmay'beplaced lat the iront oi the body" and/or atits rear; along itssides orat various other ,suitable locations. "For the purpose 'of ivarying "their effect upon the wind currents they 40; may, forexamplefbefsupported for pivotal move-4v InlBelgium `September"2.1936`acume (criss-1,181)

vehicle. For example,"the ldeilectinlg;` devices oi.' the present'invention may be"`op`erated `to produce a braking effectlorcheckinggthe movement ol. thevehicle when operating at hghspeeds andtheprdinarybrakes applied whenfthe speedhas 5 beonyreducedfor the twoiormsgo'i Vbraking de-` `vicesmay function alternatelyorfsimultaneously.

l The y present invention will be best understood uponconsideration `ofthe following fdletailjed description and appended claims whenreadinconjunction with the accompanying fldrawinfg in which? ""Fig. 1fdiagrammatically represents a moving body provided at its front end witha single pair of deflecting` plates iorfreducingwindresistance and also?arranged to, produceabraking action.

Figs` 2,andyrepresentbodies provided with anhadditional pair ofdeflecting plates `adjacent their frontjfends for maintainingthecurrentsdeflected bythejorward plates"` in vtheir courses until they passtheirontendofthebody.

F154 representsanother arrangement 'oi deflectirigplates" and y y Figs.5 and 6 illustrate the application of the invention to a vehiclewhichhas a streamlined contour. A f Q, `In Fig. 1 the moving body isrepresentedlby therectangle designatedby the numeral l0 and movesinthedirection of the arrow A. At apolnt forwardly of the front end ofthebody I 0 a pair of 3D substantially vertically` extending plates `are`mounted in laterally spaced relation and` inclined outwardly andrearwardly ,withV respect to the longitudinalaxls of the body. Windcurrents encountered by` theY body I0 in its movement are de-` 35 ectedlaterally as indicated by the arrows B out i ofthe path of mOVement ofthe body so as todecrease the resistance opposed by the wind to itsforward movement. r Part of the air currents pass between the twodeileetors H and in` traversing 4o the reartvardlyy diverging passage,"resulting "from their rearwardand outward inclination, the velocityoithe air currents isreduced withresulting increasel in static pressuregj,Consequently a bodyof alr is" formed forwardly of the Irontendf of thevehicle which isat ahignerstaticpres;` sure than the passingwindcurrents and "actstoj` preventthelr entering the space between the rear'i sides of the deflectors I I `and the front end of the vehicle. .Thistype oi deecting device andits o operation is more fully described in myPatent 2,122,422 above noted.`

The plates il are mounted to `rotate about axes l2 so that they may beadjusted to positions, as indicated in dotted lines. in which they areinthe direction of movement of the body and thereby present theirsurfaces in such manner as to increase the wind resistance. If desired.the

plates Il may be concavo-convex and when in position to reduceresistance present their convex surfaces to the wind currents and areturned to present their concave surfaces when a braking eect is desired.In addition to producing a braking eil'ect in this way, the deilectors Ii, when in their inwardly and rearwardly inclined positions, form anozzle-like rearwardly converging passage acting to direct part of thewind currents at increased velocity against the front end of the vehicleso as to increase the braking etiect. Furthermore, air would be suckedin from the sides into the space behind the deflectors Il and forwardlyof the front end of the vehicle due to the high velocity and lowerpressure of the air currents passing between the deiiectors, this alsoincreasing the braking eii'ect.

In Figs. 2 and 3 an additional pair of stationary deiiecting plates I3are mounted adjacent the front end of the vehicle, one at each side, insuch positions as to be in the path of the wind currents B that havebeen deflected by the plates i2 to maintain these currents in theircourses until they have passed the front end of the moving body. asdisclosed in my application, Serial No. 86,714. A similar arrangement isshown in Fig. 4 but here the forwardly mounted defiecting plates Il havemounted between them an additional pair of supplementary plates Il asalso disclosed in my earlier application No. 86,714 and the deiiectorsil are also movably mounted. It will be apparent that upon adjustment ofthe deiiecting plates Il to their braking positions, as represented indotted lines in these figures, the wind currents B are caused to strikethe front end of the moving body Il and also the plates I3 so that theresistance to movement due to the wind is considerably increased.

In Figs. 5 and 6 the moving body I0 is assumed to be a vehicle which hasa stream1ined" front end, and preferably a streamlined rear end also. InFig. 5 the plates Ii are convex on their outer surfaces and concave ontheir inner surfaces to substantially conform with the contour of thefront end Il of the body. These plates'are supported for rotation aboutaxes I2 to the positions indicated in dotted lines. In this positionthey present their concave surfaces to the wind currents and therebyproduce a braking action.

In Pig. 6 the exterior wall surfaces proper at the ends of the vehicleIl are formed by concavo-convex deilecting plates Il at either side of asimilar plate Il mounted on the axis of the vehicle with all of theplates arranged to turn to the dotted line positions for presentingtheir concave surfaces to the wind currents for the braking action.

It is to be understood that, as employed herein, the term "wind currentsincludes both natural winds and those produced by the movement of abody. It is also to be understood that although the plates have beendescribed as pivotally mounted they may be adjusted to their brakingpositions by sliding or other types of movement suitable to the formadopted.

What I claim is:

1. In combination with a moving body; a pair clined inwardly andrearwardly with respect to of laterally spaced plates mounted centrallyin front of said body and inclined outwardly and rearwardly with respectto its longitudinal axis for deecting wind currents encountered by saidbody outwardly away from its path of movement; a lsecond pair ofsimilarly inclined deflecting plates each mounted adjacent the front endof said body at one side thereof and disposed in the path of the windcurrents deflected by said first plates to maintain said currents intheir deflected courses; and pivotal supports for said first mentioneddeilecting plates about which they may be turned to positions in whichthey are inclined inwardly with respect to said axis of said body fordirecting wind currents against the front end of said body to increasethe wind resistance and produce a braking action.

2. In combination with a moving body, a pair of laterally spaced platesmounted centrally in front of said body and inclined outwardly andrearwardly with respect to its longitudinal axis for deflecting windcurrents encountered by said body outwardly away from its path ofmovement; a second pair of similarly inclined deecting plates eachmounted adjacent the front end of said body at one side thereof anddisposed in the path of the wind currents deflected by said first platesto maintain said currents in their deflected courses; and pivotalsupports for said first mentioned deilecting plates about which they maybe turned to positions in which they are inclined inwardly andrearwardly with respect to said axis of said body for directing windcurrents against the inner sides of said second mentioned defiectingplates to increase the wind resistance and produce a braking action.

3. In combination with a moving body; a pair of laterally spaced platesmounted centrally in front of said body and inclined outwardly andrearwardly with respect to its longitudinal axis for deflecting windcurrents encountered by said body outwardly away from its path ofmovement; a second pair of similarly inclinedr deilecting plates eachmounted adjacent the iront end of said body at one side thereof anddisposed in the path of the wind currents deilected by said first platesto maintain said currents in their dei'lected courses; and pivotalsupports for each of said deilecting plates about which they may beturned to positions in which they are inclined inwardly and rearwardlywith respect to said axis of said body for increasing the windresistance to provide a braking effect on said body.

4. In combination with a moving body; a pair of substantially verticallyextending deflecting plates mounted in transversely spaced relationforwardly of the front end of said body and disposed symmetrically withrespect to its longitudinal axis, said plates being inclined outwardlyand rearwardly with respect to the longitudinal axis of said body fordeflecting wind currents outwardly away from the path of movement ofsaid body to reduce wind resistance to its movement; and pivotalsupports for said plates about which they may be turned to rearwardlyand inwardly inclined positions with respect to the longitudinal axis ofsaid body to form a rearwardly converging passage for directing aircurrents at increased velocity against the front end of said body.

ANDR Hum.

